Ceremony In Ruins Of University
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on Political Economy and the Professor of Education talked on Psychology to earnest diences.
au-
wish I could assure you that this beginning will develop quickly into a full re-establishment of the University. Every effort is being made to get the University going but, as you know, we have to start from barren walls and looted buildings. Efforts have been con- centrated on opening the Univer- sity for first-year classes in October of this year. We cannot be sure that we shall achieve this, get some classes going and due but every effort will be made to
notice will be given of anything that is accomplished.
The date of opening for classes in Science, Medicine and En-
"By his brint popular lec- tures on various topics, his work in association with nutrition problems and above all by his cheerful example no one in the camp did more than Dr. Herk- lots in maintaining the moral of internees in those dreary days,
"An enthusiastic crowd of young men thrged the lec- tures of the late Professor Faid who spoke on Electricity, Mag-gineering depends on securing the netism, Physics - matters more or less germane to their own peacetime organisations.
"In this
way the literary standard of the internees was raised though not even Univer- sity Professors could do any thing with, or to, those of them who persisted in saying "O.K.” instead of "Yes."
"So, Ladies and Gentlemen, if the University in its corpor- ate capacity might seem to have been in abeyance there was no break in the continuity of its activities.
"Furthermore the graduates of to-day are the students of 1941 and I venture to add that the Registrar of twenty-seven years ago is re-appearing mo- mentarily in that capacity to day.
Kernel Remains
"In spite of to-day's compara- tively austere proceedings I shall not be surprised if they are recorded in the University's history as pregnant with signi- ficance as any that have been held within these walls.
necessary minimum of equipment. The latest information from the Vice-Chancellor, Mr. Sloss, who is
for working hard at home
the University, is that the equipment September of this year but that may be ready for shipping by with top priority all along the line it could not be available for use in Hong Kong before Decem- ber.
It is hoped that Mr. Boxer, the Registrar. will be returning shortly and that Professors Simp- son and Robertson will also coming back in ก few months.
be more
|
a
high
and
nation has maintained standard of discipline. Most of the success of the Nazis was due to the high standard
of discipline whieh they enforced, but that dis- cipline was what I call the dis- cipline of fear-discipline main- tained by the Secret Police and the threat of the concentration camp. The highest form of dis- cipline is, of course, self-discipline exercised by the individual exemplified by a high standard of a sense of a man's duty to his neighbour-called more simply in English "playing the game". This has not been achieved to a high degree by many countries. For in- stance, the Germans have never achieved it to +2 high degree, although the old German bureau- of a high cracy had
standard efficiencv and
before integrity
by they were destroyed
Nazi
have achieved as high a standard teaching. In Britain, I feel we
of self-discipline as most coun- tries, in fact higher than most. The evidence of this is firstly the standard of integrity in all branches of our public services and it has also been made mani- fest recently by the absolutely negligible black market which has existed in Britain despite the very severe and continued rationing during six years of war. That in record has shown Democracy action.
Democracy
De-
Liaison With China In each step of the re-building of the University it is the inten- tion to bear in mind always the importance of co-operation with Self-discipline enters very much the Universities and educational into the development of Democra- institutions of China. I am suretic Government, which is of course the importance of liaison wiu essentially self-government. China is going to be great fac-mocratic Government is not tor in the future history of this achieved merely by giving the University which numbers franchise to the whole or a large amongt its first students Dr. Sun portion of the population. It has Yat-sen. When I was in Chung- to be built up step by step and king, the Generalissimo displayed must start with the acknowledge- great interest in the re-building ment of the rights of the indivi- of this University and spoke to dual, followed by the achievement me about the importance of get- of a high standard of integrity in "I say "within these walls." ting the University going again the public service, which is done I cannot say "rnder this roof," as soon as possible, a view which by the individuals comprising the but if our shell be broken the I naturally very much shared with community exercising self-govern- wholesome kernel remains and if him. During my visit to Canton, I
ment and self-discipline in their the new Bachelors of Medicine went to Ling Nam University and individual
not only did I receive a very kind have proceeded to their degrees welcome but all the officials spoke in a shattered building I would most appreciatively to me of what remind them that a roof is but Hong Kong University had done a top dressing and a graduate for Ling Nam before the Japan- is a graduate "for a' that." ese attacked Hong Kong and also
"I see in this ceremony the beginning of a renaissance and although there will inevitably be griev- ous obstacles in the way of our academic rehabilitation. I foresee for this University in Hong Kong
of expanding a future usefulness in the Far East which will transcend its cons iderable achievements
the past." Commander-in-Chief's Speech The conferment of the Degrees after which Vice- followed, Admiral Sir, Cecil Harcourt, the addressed Commander-in-Chief, the gathering,
the self-disc.- between relationship pline and self-government.
This, said His Excellency, i a great day in the annals of this
when day University-the
National Discipline have our first public ceremony
of the Since the time when Moses led since the re-occupation Colony. It is a beginning and I the Children of Israel out am afraid only a small beginning Egypt. history has shown that no but none the less a beginning. I nation has flourished unless that
in the near
in
emphasising
very kindly expressed their sin cere wish to repay some of that future debt ibv assisting Hong Kong
University now. As you all know. a number of students from Hong Kong are now at Ling Nam University.
We
the
lives. The form of Democratic Government which we have in Britain has been built up step by step during the centuries. For instance. in 1215 by the sign- ing of Magna Charta the King became obedient to the law of the land and not a mere tvrant and despot as he continued to be in so walls of this University, as it is tain in yourselves that attitude to many countries for centuries after to be expected that a large pro- your neighbours that you would
Habeas this date. In 1679 the
of portion of the leaders
towards our like them to maintain no'
Only in this way can Corpus Act established that
community will graduate through you, man should be thrown into prison this University and it is essentia genuine self-government be esta- and kept there without trial. This that it should be understood
the in blished in Hong Kong and Whilst this University started acknowledgement of the rights of
Hong Kong importance of people be prosperous. happy and as a Medical College and teaches the individual is an essential key- self-discipline which is the equi- free. a great number of most important stone to Democratic Government
of The Degrees
Bachelor of valent of civic sense. For it is only technical subjects, its activities and these rights must be well
by the gaining of this civic sense Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery are not and should not be confined established before any large mea- that stable self-government can b was conferred upon the following: to technical education. Qne of the sure of franchise can be given. I achieved. Without this self-disci- Au Wai Man, Au Kit Man, Bun
worth remembering that most important functions of any 1s University is to broaden the out- although the first Parliament was pline, the establishment of univer- Pak Sun, Chan Sing Boon, Chan look of its graduates and to instil' assembled in England in 1295 it
community Wai Kai, Ho Hung Kin, Ip Yee, sal franchise in anv means that there are thousands Lam Shu Kee, Leung Yau Shun, into their minds the sense of was then only a consultative body of people each working for their Li Hin Lun. Li Fook Kuen, Ling spiritual values-the value of and the universal franchise of
Hong. Loke Choong She. own selfish aims and caring little Tak honestv, justice, mercy and such both men and women, which elect for the common good. The result Look Mang Wai, Oh Kim Seng, like, which form the basis of an the Parliament to which Ministers in such cases is. as has been Tang Hon Chiu, Tong Kwok Kee.
To-day I wan' of the Crown are responsible, was ordered society. particularly to speak to you of the not achieved in Britain until 1918
shown in various countries in re- Wong Mook Foo, Wong Siao Bu, Yap Neow Foo, cent years, not Democratic Gov- Wu Kay Hau. Importance of discipline in the
Civic Sense
ernment but what I call Democra- | Yeoh Oon Khor and Yu Shiu On; community.
Cheung even and in absentia upon: tic lack of government, or Democratic Anarchy. I ask you King Ho, Fung Kam Tat, Hooi here to understand what self- therefore to ponder these things. Peng Kwan, Hui Kwan Lun. Kaan government is. so that it can b think over the implications. dis- Sze Kin. Lam Yu Shing, Siu Ka built up here in Hong Kong.
Icuss them amongst yourselves, b Hee, Tan Kim Hoang, Tsai Kam speak. specifically here inside the honest with yourselves and main Fong and Yan Jin Yau.
I draw your attention to thes things because it is most essentia
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